Chaotic Friday
by Kensalyn
Summary: When Maxxor and Chaor use two Mugics at the same time, body-switching confusion ensues! Plus, Tom and Kaz have gotten a little too close of a peek! It's rated T because even I don't know what'll happen next!
1. Chapter 1

_Had this idea just out of the blue, and the possibilities for hilarity and mayhem seemed to scream to be unleashed!! MWAHAHAHA!!!_

*Ahem.*_ I would say back to sanity, but I refuse to ever go back there. Those people are crazy. So forward, to the story!_

* * *

**Chaotic Friday**

It was a beautiful day in Chaotic, as it always was; sun shining, robots delivering food, players beating each other up in the dromes. Sarah sipped the last bit of soda from her cup and waved over a robot to order a new one while Peyton pumped his fists in the air, trying to urge on a Mipedian player as he battled an Underworlder. Sarah glanced at her watch. Usually Tom and Chaz had ported in by now; where could they be?

"Where are they?" she mumbled in irritation. Peyton didn't hear her, whooting as the Mipedian player unleashed a whirlwind on her opponent and coded him.

"Did you see that Sarah? That was totally epic!" Peyton showed his enthusiasm by grabbing the drink from the returning robot. "Thanks, el roboto amigo. Thoughtful of ya!"

Sarah rolled her eyes and smiled behind her groan. She was used to her friend's eating habits by now.

"Well, I'm porting," she told him.

"Whoa, what? But we were gonna wait for--"

"I know! But they're being slow, and I'm impatient. Besides, there was something on the edge of Danian/Overworld territory I wanted to check out. I heard there might be a new cave that leads to the Underworld, and I want a location scan. Let me know when they get here."

"Uh, ok, can do. The Peytonic Master is on the job!" He gave her a thumbs up, and she headed over to the port decks.

Peyton was watching the last battle of the match when he felt a tap on his shoulder. "Nope!... just one sec, hoooold thaaaaat thoooought..." The Mipedian player was currently Malvadine and suddenly sacrificed her Mugician's Lyre, surprising her enemy with a mugic and coding him once again. "YES!!! That was spectacular! Just my style, who expects Malvadine to use a mugic? Now then..." He turned to see Tom and Kaz standing behind him. "Tom! Kazzy! Sup, my dudes? What took you so long, Sarah left already."

Tom looked suprised. "Alone? But we were all gonna see Boadel together! If he gets asked too many times about that new shipment of powered-up Liquilizers, none of us may get a scan! Besides, we gotta be back in time for mine and Kaz's battle."

"No worries, my bro. She went to check out some new cave on the Danian/Overworld border."

"A cave?" Kaz raised an eyebrow. "I overheard Chaor saying something about exploring a tunnel near there... something about a mugic."

Peyton shrugged. "I'll call Sarah. I was ordered to give her the heads up when you guys showed." But before he could press a button, he got an incoming call from Sarah. He answered it.

"Perfect timing, I was just gonna give ya a ring," he grinned, angling the scanner so it showed Tom and Kaz too.

"Great, even better. Listen you guys are gonna want to get here, right now!" A great boom sounded behind her, and the boys widened their eyes.

"Sarah, what's going on!?" Tom asked.

"It's Chaor and Maxxor! Looks like Chaor found some sort of Mugic in that cave I wanted to scan, and Najarin, Intress, and Maxxor are battling him and Takinom for it!"

"Well, where are you?" Kas asked, and after she told them the three hurried and ported out.

* * *

As soon as they appeared they could hear the battle, and raced off towards the sounds. Sarah stood near a cliff overlooking the fight.

Takinom was battling bravely, holding off both Najarin and Intress, but she couldn't hold out for much longer. The two rulers were locked in their own struggle, only slightly aware of how the others were faring.

"This is totally unfair!" Kaz yelled. "Chaor found the mugic in the first place. And it's three against two!"

"Hey, it's Chaor's fault he came unprepared," Tom countered. "Did he really think Maxxor would just let him get away without a fight?"

Suddenly the whole cliff seemed to wobble, a loud boom echoing from below. Everyone looked back quickly to see that Maxxor had knocked Chaor down with a lucky rock wave; even the Overworld leader seemed surprised.

Tom looked estatic. "C'mon, lets get a better view!" He grabbed Kaz's arm and raced to a ledge just a bit further out. Sarah and Peyton called after him, but he almost didn't hear them, he was so caught up in the battle.

Kaz held back. "Tom, this ledge doesn't look that safe--"

"Chaor's getting up!"

"He is?! Yes!!" Kaz forgot about safety and jumped to Tom's side. Sure enough, the gargoyle-like creature was standing up, reaching into a bag he carried as he did. "Wait... is he gonna use the mugic?"

* * *

Chaor looked up from the ground, startled. Maxxor looked just as startled, having expected Chaor to dodge the the easy attack he had sent. However, the Overworlder wasn't going to let such an opportunity pass by him. He sent another rock wave in Chaor's direction, which Chaor narrowly avoided by rolling into a crouch. Maxxor had gotten the upper hand on him, he knew, and if he didn't do something fast this battle would be over.

So he reached into the bag in which he had stored his three newly found mugics.

Maxxor saw the move, realizing his advantage was about to expire. "Well, let it," he thought, remembering the mugic he'd brought with him.

Chaor lifted his mugic just as Maxxor revealed his.

* * *

Tom and Kaz were anxious as Maxxor pulled out a mugic half a second after Chaor did, inching closer and closer to the edge of the cliff.

"Guys!" Sarah yelled at them, "Seriously, get away from there!"

"That's lookin' kinda tipsy, dudes!" Peyton agreed.

"Stop worrying, we're just fi--" Kaz stopped mid sentence as he heard a crack under his feet.

Tom felt his heart stop. "Uh, oh."

The rock beneath them tore away from the piece Sarah and Peyton stood on. They yelled as they started falling through the air, desperately digging in their pockets for their scanners. Peyton and Sarah raced to the edge, yelling after their friends. They looked just in time to see their fingers seeming to hover over the buttons that would return them to safety. Then two separate melodies rang through the air, and the two boys were enveloped in a burst of light, coming from where Chaor and Maxxor stood below. Their codes returning to Chaotic seemed like small blue flashes surrounded by the glow of the two mugics.

Sarah and Peyton were silent. The scene below was a mess; Chaor had been blown back into the side of the cliff, near the entrance to the cave. Maxxor was in the other direction, uneasily picking himself up from under half a broken tree. Takinom had somehow avoided the majority of the blow it seemed, and now she rushed towards her leader. Intress seemed worse for the wear, but Najarin was holding her and heading towards his leader as well.

Not too far in the distance, Danians appeared, intent on discovering what was causing all the commotion. It seemed a retreat was in order for both sides.

Whatever that mugic was, it'd been a doozy. Or maybe the two mugics together.

The two Chaotic players still on the cliff looked at each other. Peyton cracked a grin.

"Sooooo.... Wanna make out?"

Sarah scoffed and pushed his head away. Peyton laughed.

"C'mon, let's make sure they're ok," she said, sending her code back to Chaotic. Peyton followed close behind.

* * *

Takinom dove through the air towards the downed Underworlder. "Chaor! Chaor, what did you do? That was reckless," she snapped as she helped him stand.

"What... Takinom?! But, why are you--"

"Let's go! We should take our escape while it's open!" She headed towards the cave entrance, waiting for him to follow. "Chaor! Shake it off, let's go!!"

"...Chaor?" The Underworlder looked at his hands, then stared at them in shock. "I'm Chaor!?" He looked up at the confused and now annoyed Takinom, then glanced around. He could see Najarin helping Maxxor to his feet, and Danians in the distance. As he looked up, two blue flashes of code disappeared. "Oh, great," he said under his breath, fear showing on his face. Then, seemingly not sure what else to do, he grabbed the bag that still held two mugics and faded into the darkness of the tunnel behind Takinom.

* * *

_What the heck!?! "Fear showing on his face"?! Chaor's face??_

_Yeah, that's definitely not Chaor._

_By the way, I'd like to mention I don't own Chaotic, just for disclaimer purposes._


	2. Chapter 2

_Well, I was bored, and suddenly had a space of free time, so here it is! ...Chaor is SO fun to write._

* * *

**Chaotic Friday: Chapter 2**

* * *

Najarin was at his ruler's side as quickly as he could be, carrying Intress. Maxxor's strong arms tossed the tree trunk off his chest.

"Whoa," the Muge heard Maxxor say, then as the Overworlder stared at his green hands, "WHOA!!"

"Yes," Najarin agreed, pulling Maxxor to his feet, "Whatever that mugic may be, it is extremely powerful. And now in the hands of the Underworld."

"N-no, that's not what I--"

Najarin cut him off. "Quickly, Maxxor, we must hurry. Unless we wish to be Danian prisoners," he added pointedly, nodding his head toward the oncoming battalion.

"No, you don't--" Maxxor rubbed a bruise on his arm, looking stunned. "Oh, man--ok, ok, alright, let's just get out of here!"

Najarin raised his eyebrow at Maxxor's strange behavior, but didn't question it. With him at the head of the group, they fled into the forest.

* * *

Two "oomph"s were heard in Chaotic as the bodies of Tom Majors and Kaz Kalinkas smacked into the floor. A few players looked over, then lost interest and returned to whatever they had been previously doing. Klay laughed from across the port court, but didn't bother to come over.

Kaz groaned, rubbing his hand to his head. Then he sat up and tried to focus. _"What in all of Perim..?"_ he thought, then looked to his side and saw Tom laying there, just recovering.

"Tom?" he said, making it sound more like a call to attention then a question. "Where am I? What is going on?"

Tom looked up, seeming just as confused, and also irritated. "Kaz? Is something wrong with that little brain of yours? Maybe you..." Tom suddenly looked concerned. "What's...wrong with my voice?"

He looked down at his hands. His jaw dropped. "...Oh, you've gotta be kidding me."

"Tom, what is going on?" Kaz was losing patience. But now that he thought about it, his voice was strange, as well.

He looked at his own hands. The sight of the pink skin shocked him.

Because he wasn't really Kaz; He was Maxxor. Ruler of the Overworld. Trapped in the body of a teenage boy in Chaotic.

What in the name of the Cothica had he done?

Maxxor narrowed his new eyes behind his glasses. "You're not Tom, are you?"

"Of course not," Tom's mouth spat, not looking as sure as he sounded.

"...Chaor?"

"Maxxor..." he muttered, also putting it together. He looked the Overworlder up and down. "I'd punch your face in, right now, if I didn't owe Kaz."

"Same sentiment here," Maxxor growled back. He looked around; some of the human players were starting to pay attention to their strange conversation. "Perhaps we should put aside our differences for the moment and find somewhere a bit more private to sort this thing out."

Chaor nodded. "Agreed," he said, bumping Maxxor's shoulder as he walked past him.

They didn't get too far before two more codes appeared. Sarah and Peyton spotted their friends walking away and ran to catch them.

"Yo, dudes!" Peyton yelled, "Wait up!"

'Tom' didn't seem to hear them, but 'Kaz' stopped for a second. There was something different about him... was he standing straighter? And when he turned, Sarah didn't see the overly energetic smirk Kaz usually had. Instead, he looked alert and serious.

'Kaz' yelled a word to 'Tom', who raised an eyebrow as he turned, folding his arms across his chest in a superior manner.

"Dudes, that was crazy back there! Falling off the cliff, then the crazy light show with the _Dooo Duh DOOOO doooduhn da dooo,_" Peyton mimicked the mugic, "and you shoulda seen Chaor and Maxxor afterward! They were both way out of it, kinda freakin' out. That was one freaky mugic, amigos," he finished, grabbing a soda from a robot who's path they were blocking. "Mmm, a soda!...Man, I tell ya, these guys are _so considerate_..."

Sarah rolled her eyes as Peyton slurped from the straw only to spit the drink back out ("Whoa, hold everything, is this _diet_?!") and looked at the two boys. "Yeah, that was really freaky back there. Are you two ok?"

Maxxor's eyes had been slowly narrowing again, and at this question he shifted his gaze to Chaor. The Underworlder looked like he was about to explode in fury.

Then, he did.

"A better question," Chaor roared, his words frightening and commanding even outside his own body, "would be what Tom and Kaz were doing on that cliff in the first place?!!"

"Chaor," Maxxor snapped. "Keep it down. This is not the place to attract attention!"

"Don't try to tell me what to do, _Overworlder_," Chaor seethed. "You hold no authority over me."

Peyton and Sarah looked dumbfounded and shocked by Tom's ferocity. "Hold up," Sarah said, "did you just say... Very funny guys, now cut it out."

"Sarah, Peyton," Maxxor took a quick step closer to them and lowered his voice. "I am sorry. But we are not your friends. Whatever happened back there with our mugic, it switched them with us; I'm Maxxor." He said the last part looking deadly serious and speaking slowly. "And this is Chaor," he added, motioning to 'Tom', who seemed to be just barely controlling his frustration now and back to constructing a plan.

"Forget wasting time on introductions," he said, pulling out Tom's scanner, "You two show me how to work this thing so I can get back to Perim."

Just then a robot showed up. "MajorTom, KidChaor," it said, "Your scheduled match begins in five minutes."

"Yeah, right," Chaor scoffed, laughing at the robot. "I'm not wasting my time with a game. Maybe if this human had any decent Underworlders it would be less of a joke, but I know for a fact all he ever scans is-- Overworld..." Suddenly Chaor's eyes lit up.

"You know what...maybe a match would be good."

"Chaor, are you out of your mind?" Maxxor yelled at him. Sarah and Peyton stood in silence again, too dumbfounded and confused to say anything.

"No, but I am out of my body," Chaor joked, a dark smile appearing on Tom's face. He chuckled at his own joke. "I think you're just afraid I'd be a better you than you would, Maxxor."

Suddenly Maxxor realized what Chaor was thinking. They both knew how these games the humans played worked; Once a player scanned a creature and used the scan in a drome, they took on the attributes of that creature. Including thoughts and memories.

However, Maxxor knew it'd been quite a while ago that he had allowed Tom to scan him. Things had changed since then, and while he still didn't like the idea of Chaor having any sort of access to his head, this was a two-edged sword. KidChaor would obviously have Chaor in his deck.

"Alright," Maxxor decided. "It's something I may never have the privlege to experience again. I would hope," he added. "I accept your challenge."

* * *

_Whoo!! Fight, fight, fight, fight!!_

_Wait a sec... I've never written a Chaotic match! Hmm... Ah, well, I'll figure it out as I go. :D An excuse to sit and watch old episodes! Yay!_


	3. Chapter 3

_Well, this _was_ going to alternate between the battle and what Kaz was up to, but I scrapped the whole thing I was writing for that. That chapter hated my guts, I could feeeeel it... __So instead, let's compare how the two groups of Creatures handle the switch!_

_Ps. Sorry it took me two and a half eternities to post more..._

* * *

**Chaotic Friday: Chapter 3**

* * *

Tom was freaking out. He was following Takinom down a dark tunnel (in which he could see perfectly fine), and the more he thought about the choice he made to follow her, the less calm he felt about it. She kept hurrying him along, too; as though this massive body was easy to manuvure! Twice he'd caught his horns on outcroppings when he didn't duck low enough. Every few turns in the tunnel bore a dent in the wall where his tail had smashed after him. His hands and feet felt clumsy, as though they knew they didn't belong to him and refused to let him tell them what to do.

At last she stopped. Tom was relieved at first, but then saw the look in her eye.

"Lord Chaor," she began, sounding respectful but still very suspicious. "If I may speak boldly; since you used that mugic, you don't seem... yourself. Before we enter Underworld City, is there anything I should know about it?"

Tom blinked a few times. Did she know he wasn't Chaor? He had been debating in his mind what the best way to handle the situation might be. Takinom was Chaor's most trusted advisor, and telling her who he really was could make everything a lot less complicated. But Tom was also convinced that the best person to sort out this mess was not in the Underworld; Najarin, the Muge of Lake Ken-i-po, was the most knowledgable mugician alive. If anyone could solve this, he could. And Tom knew Takinom would never take her ruler to be the house guest of an Overworlder in such a state.

But if he didn't tell her, how would he make it that far anyways?

Takinom was waiting. Tom gulped.

"I... Uh, well, I'm.... That is.... I don't.... I'm not really exactly Chaor. Please don't freak out."

Takinoms eyebrows had reached epic heights and her jaw was hanging loose. "Lord Chaor, if this is a joke, it's not funny."

"It's no joke! That mugic did something really weird. I don't know where Chaor is... but he's not in here."

Takinom stared at him. He couldn't tell what she was thinking, whether she believed him or not. It's an easy thing to prove who you are. But what else could he possibly say to convince her who he wasn't? He wracked his mind, trying to think of anything that might convi-

SLAM.

Takinom's foot suddenly connected with Tom's head. He took a defensive stance as he scrambled up to face her.

"Whoa, hold up! Just cause I'm not Chaor in here doesn't mean this isn't his body!"

"You aren't Chaor," she hissed, assured by his reactions as well as reflexes. She examied his stance.

"Wait, to find out if I was Chaor you decided to kick me in the head?!"

"Your stance is just like--" Her eyes widened and she prepeard herself to attack. "Maxxor!"

"No! I'm not Maxxor, I just--" Tom suddenly became conscious of how he was standing. He had played as Maxxor for so long in the dromes that he was starting to pick up a thing or two himself. "--I play him a lot in the dromes! I'm a Chaotic player, my name is Tom. I'm friends with Kaz, KidChaor?"

Takinom hesitated, seeming to consider everything he had told her. And as she thought, Tom found himself wondering; if this was what happened to him, what had happened to Kaz?

* * *

Kaz splashed more water on his face and then continued pacing back and forth by the edge of the river. He tried not to look into the calm glassy water; the sight of his green skin and red tunic startled him every time he did. Najarin had suggested that he go down to the river and wash up a bit while he took care of Intress. Then he absorbed himself in healing her wounds. Kaz didn't know what else to do, so he did as suggested. Honestly, he was glad for the moment to panic in private.

He couldn't help himself and looked into the water again, as though he would see his normal self if he did.

Instead he saw giant black hair and a green face with lines of purple, and though he'd looked plenty of times by now, it still freaked him out.

"Gah! Aw, man! I knew that cliff wasn't safe! We should've listened to Sarah and Peyton. That's ok, I can figure this out. It was obviously the mugic. Yeah. So all I need is one of the mugics Chaor had-- and Chaor still has those... Oh, man.... H'earing could get one! And I'll get a hold of H'earing by..." Kaz sat on a rock and face-palmed. "Well, that's it. I have no idea what to do." He groaned, at a complete loss, and looked back at his strange reflection again.

_"...How does he get his hair to stick up like that?..."_

"Maxxor!" Kaz jumped at the voice. Intress was emerging from the forest. She had a bandage tied around her midriff. "Najarin said you went this way. He also said you were acting a bit strangely. Are you alright?"

Kaz tried to smile. "Uh-- Yeah. I mean, why wouldn't I be?"

Intress furrowed her brow. "I expected you to be upset; we lost the mugic and Najarin told me we had to retreat from a Danian squad as well."

"Well, sure, but-- don't worry about me!" Kaz tried to smile again, and failed a second time. "I'm just fine... really..." He looked into the water. "Physically, definetly healthy. But... Ok... Here it goes." He stood up, staring towards the other bank. "Intress, I need to tell you something. Please don't think I'm crazy or anything. You see... I think that... Oh, darn it," he muttered. "I don't know how to explain this. I--"

He turned to face her only to find her standing right next to him. Her hand came up to his mouth as though to shush him.

"I think I know," she replied, a sparkle in her eye and a smirk on her face as though he were a silly child.

Kaz froze. "Intress--"

Intress suddenly came at him and kissed him full on the lips. He panicked.

He tripped backwards over the rock he'd been sitting on and fell right into the river. He stood up quickly, gasping for air, and not because of the water he'd just inhaled. Intress was staring at him with a strange look on her face; Kaz couldn't tell if she was worried or just wanted to use Tidal Wave to help finish him off.

"I-- I'm not Maxxor!" he sputtered.

Her expression became definate in hurt and anger. "Oh? And what's this, another game? I'm tired of playing games with you, Maxxor."

"No, really, I'm not! My name is Kaz, I'm a Chaotic player!"

"Just stop. I don't care if you're my leader, I don't care if you're the ruler of all Perim! I won't stand here and be mocked." She started to leave.

"I'm not mocking you!" Kaz called after her. He had to say something to fix this! "Really, I know a ton about Chaotic. Ask me anything you want!"

"...Alright." She turned back around. "What did you say to me just before the battle on the border last month?"

"Uh... I meant questions more like--"

"What did you do the night I had dinner with Tangath?"

"I didn't know you ever had dinner with--"

"When you were six, who fixed the vase you broke before your mother found out?"

"I'm guessing you?"

"What is the password you placed on your personalized battle gear Boadel is making?"

"Wha-- How would even _you_ know what that is?!"

"Ssertni. You think that's hard to decipher?" She bore her glare into him. "This moment is a defining point. So you determine. How will we continue? Evading our feelings for each other and never doing anything about them? Or accepting them?"

Kaz just stood in the water with what he knew must be an extremly dumb expression on his face.

Intress unfolded her arms. "Alright. Lord Maxxor," she said with a slight bow of her head. Then she took her leave.

Kaz was left alone, sopping wet, with the feeling that he just destroyed the romantic life of the Ruler of the Overworld.

* * *

_Wow, Takinom did a much better job of handling that than Intress! Who'da thunk!_

_Next chapter will have action, I promise. _Whoa now_, you say, _this one had a kick to the head and an awkward kiss! How much action can we take!?_ Hopefully... a little bit more than that. Yeah, less talking, more punching, I promise._


	4. Chapter 4

__

_Check it out, I wrote a battle! I'm not sure if I'm proud of it... geez, this part just didn't want to be written! Well, too bad, Chapter 4, I wrote you! Take that! Ha! :D_

_I tried to call Maxxor and Chaor by their actual names as much as I could, it just got too confusing. Let me know if I didn't tone down the confusion enough!_

* * *

**Chaotic Friday: Chapter 4**

* * *

"Hey, did you hear about MajorTom and KidChaor's bet?"

A girl put down her pizza and rolled her eyes at her friend's need to be in on all the gossip. "No, but I'll bite. What's their bet?"

"Well, you know how proud they are of their tribes. They scheduled this battle today to see which is better, and whoever loses has to spend the night in enemy territory!"

"Really? Wow... I'd hate to have a sleepover in Underworld territory."

"Oh, I hope Tom loses! Then he has to stay there all night... and I could help him find his way around!" The girl, clearly an Overworld supporter, batted her lashes dreamily. "Ever since I heard, I've been studying some of the tunnels near Iron Pillar!"

"Well... I guess it'd be nice if Tom won.... If that means Kaz camps in the Forest of Life all night. I know a few good trick about that spot..."

"He is so hot!" the Overworld girl squealed, clearly still thinking of Tom.

"Oh, man, you can say that again," said her friend.

"Those arms..."

"That hair...."

"His smile!"

"Wow, now I really hope he loses!" the girl announced, forgetting about the people around them.

"Me too!" squealed the Overworlder in an ear-splittingly high pitched voice.

Payton, a few tables away, leaned over to Sarah slowly. "What... in the world... is wrong with your species."

Sarah looked offended. "Hey! Don't lump me in with them!" She glowered, staring at the screen Tom and Kaz showed on. "At least we know where to tell.... those two.... to stay away from tonight."

"Sarah.... do you think they're really...?"

"I honestly can't decide, at this point," she confessed. "But if they're not, they sure are going to a lot of trouble to make it look convincing." On screen the two players had finally locked their decks, after a few tips from a confused and now annoyed Battlemaster. At the beginning of the match, 'Kaz' had seemed upset that the match involved more than one Creature each; it was a three on three battle, and he almost backed out. But 'Tom' coyly commented that if he backed out, he would just find someone else to battle him. 'Kaz' seemed much more determined after that.

"Maybe this is just a trick they're pullin', you know, like they did that one time?"

"Maybe," Sarah sounded unconvinced, "But that was for the Code Masters. I don't see any point to faking this!"

Sarah stared at the screen as KidChaor was declared the attacker. He looked at the floating Chaotic sign and declared, "Chaor will battle Intress!"

"Oh, nice thinkin'! That melts the cheese in that enchilada, I'm convinced," Payton declared.

Sarah gawked. "What?! How does that convince you?"

"Well, ya see," Payton smirked, "it's simple deductive logic, my dear Sarah. Maxx-- uh," he looked around him, "I mean 'Kaz' was upset earlier about the number of creatures. And the only reason he would be bothered by how many creatures 'Tom' gets--"

"That would mean Chaor could get into more Overworlder's minds!" Sarah suddenly caught Payton's line of reasoning.

"Hey, hey, hey! Did you not just hear my distinct between-the-lines "let's protect our friends' secret" undertone?"

Sarah kept going. "And if he chooses Chaor to attack Intress first, he can code him before he gets too much information while still having more time inside Chaor's head!"

"Bullseye! Now, if our buds were in there puttin' on a play, they would have both agreed to change the match to a one-on-one; Chaor vs Maxxor."

"You know Payton, as much as I hate to say this... You're totally right."

"I know," Payton said nonchalantly. "I'm the man."

Sarah, however, just looked back at the screen, worrying about the implications. If Kaz and Tom had switched places like Maxxor and Chaor had, it wouldn't matter who won the battle. They'd both be spending the night in enemy territory.

* * *

The Battlemaster waited, then a mechanical sigh echoed in the room. "PLACE YOUR HAND OVER YOUR RESPECTIVE CREATURES," the voice snapped.

Maxxor and Chaor looked at each other and seemed to be thinking the exact same thing; _"What, that's supposed to be obvious?"_

Maxxor looked at the image in front of him. This was it; he was about to take the form of Chaor. He had to make this fast, and to do that he would have to play the Underworlder very well.

Chaor looked at Intress. He'd hoped Maxxor would try and destroy his own scan first; then Chaor could defeat him and still have two more battles to spare. This would definitely be an odd form to take... but hopefully he could learn much from her and still defeat his opponent.

Both players placed their hands over the images, and began to change.

* * *

Maxxor felt powerful.

The location he had spun was Underworld City, and though as Maxxor he felt very uncomfortable, something about this form made him feel untouchable. His red wrists bore the bands Chaor always wore, and as he looked at them Maxxor strangely understood why Chaor favored a protection that could also deal such blunt force.

He snapped his head up. No time for dilly-dallying; he had to find his opponent.

* * *

Chaor leapt from rooftop to rooftop, observing his city. It was strange to see it with no creatures roaming about, bartering, talking, building. Finally he came to where he was headed.

_"Hmm,"_ he thought, looking at the north end of the arsenal. _"Looks like repairs are being made to the old wing.... that means it's about the right time to get that lost--"_

"Lava-lanche!" yelled his voice from behind him.

Chaor leapt out of the way just in time, barely singing his tail. He almost did a double-take as he turned mid-leap to face himself. _"Now, that's just not right,"_he thought, as he saw that Maxxor had taken off his spiked shoulder-pads. Obviously, the Overworlder thought he could maneuver better without them.

"Please," he taunted, "You're making me look bad! You could at least try. I should be able to defeat this Overworlder in moments!"

"I'm truly trying," his deep voice replied. "But honestly, I'm not sure this huge body can move fast enough! What do you eat all day, rocks?" He launched another attack, hitting Intress square in the chest. She flew towards the building behind her, crashing through it. _"Sorry, Intress,"_ he couldn't help but think. "Looks like I can make do, though!"

Chaor let out a grunt as he hit the second wall inside the home. _"Maybe I should rethink those shoulder pads,"_Chaor thought grudgingly. He immediately rolled to the side and out of Maxxor's sight. He made another leap towards a window in the far corner, and let out a small 'oomph' as the side of his hip bumped the window frame on his way out. _"Females and their hips,"_ he thought testily.

Maxxor had walked into the house right after him and heard the small noise he made, blasting an Ember Swarm in the same direction. Chaor took a glancing blow as he leapt away. Maxxor raced to the window, but he still felt uneasy in this strange form and wasn't there soon enough to see which way his enemy went. He swore under his breath. Climbing quickly, he made it to the rooftop just in time to see a blur of orange dart behind a building. "Not quite fast enough," he murmured, smirking.

Chaor arrived at the coliseum and quickly slunk into a back room. Months ago, when Kaz had taken this scan, a mugician had appeared in one of the more secret rooms. Not an Underworld mugician, as would have normally and logically appeared, but an Overworld one! The oddity was kept as an utmost secret as Chaor and those most trusted to him tried to dispel it. Ulmar even tried to capture it; something so unusual would surely come in handy, he reasoned. As time past, it became referred to just as the Lost One. Then, weeks after it's appearance while they were observing and discussing it, it simply vanished with a windy howl.

However, the Overworld mugician would still be in the room during this scan, and Chaor needed it to activate the mugic he wanted to use. He had found the right room, and was about to open the door when a huge crash sounded behind him.

"One thing I've got to remember about the Underworld," his voice roared at him from down the hall, "There's battle gear all over the place. It only took a bit of 'searching' to find the storeroom," Maxxor smirked, tapping the side of his head. He lifted two whepcraks.

Chaor launched a tidal wave and dived into the room. Maxxor dropped both whepcracks next to him and started blasting the wave back.

There it was, in the middle of the room, glowing bright blue. Chaor smirked, walking up to it. "Hate to admit it," he said, "but looks like Ulmar was right. This thing is coming in handy." He was absorbing it just as Maxxor burst in.

Maxxor acted before the scene truly sunk in, using both whepcracks on Chaor before his opponent could move. Intress's frame crashed to the side wall only feet away, her head cracking against it. Chaor cried out in pain in her voice, slumping pathetically to the ground.

Maxxor froze. He knew it wasn't Intress, but seeing that happen to her-- knowing he'd just done it... His grip loosened on the whepcracks and he took half a step towards her.

Her foot suddenly whipped out and rammed into his shin, tripping him to his side. "Song of Resurgence!" he heard her yell. The sound of mugic filled the air, and then Intress was standing over him with a dark smile on her face.

"I did a bit of 'searching' on the way over here myself," Chaor told him. "It looks like you have quite the soft spot. That's definetly worth exploiting." He held up his fists, and gauntlets appeared on them. Maxxor only got halfway up before Chaor landed a punch right to his nose. He spun around and Chaor kicked him in the back. This time he slammed up against a wall, once again dropping the whepcracks.

Intress's laugh sounded in the room. "The longer I am her, the easier it is to access her memories. You almost had something once, didn't you? Something got in the way, but whatever it is, she's tried to bury that memory. I'll tell you something you didn't know," Chaor gave him a few more good punches. Maxxor could feel himself getting weak and blocked the blows, working his way back to the whepcracks. But when he tried to grab them, Chaor took the opening to bury his fist in Maxxor's throat. Maxxor fell back, gasping for air.

"She's sick of the games you two play! The little hints, the double meanings, all the pretending! And you just can't let go, can you?"

Maxxor felt himself getting angry. "Enough!" he wheezed.

"Not quite," Chaor said, "but this should be. Song of EmberNova!"

The trill began to sound in the air. Maxxor knew; if that mugic hit him, he would lose his access to Chaor, and Chaor would still have Intress to use. "Refrain... of Denial!" he coughed.

The two sounds twisted in the air, and though small bits of light began to shine, they were soon smothered out by the secondary song, tweaking each note to a different nonsensical noise.

Maxxor quickly used Chaor's own trick against him and tripped him while he was distracted. Still coughing a bit, he rolled and snatched up his whepcracks, using his momentum to stand. He lashed out with the battle gear, snatching at each gauntlet and pulling them away from Chaor. Then he went in for the attack again, dodging the Hail Storm sent at him. Chaor fought back, but it was very clear that he had played his hand too soon; Maxxor was now fighting with a vengance, and he still had two pieces of battle gear.

Chaor stumbled, and Maxxor recognized that he only needed one more good hit. Tightening his grip on the whepcracks, he yelled, "Incinerase!!" Fire filled the room, leaping toward Intress--

A blue light enveloped everything, and Chaor found himself looking across the metal room and up towards... himself. Then the red creature's code fell away, and Kaz's figure stood in it's place. The look on his face was anything but the quirky smile Kazzy would probably have worn after a win; Maxxor's expression was dark.

Chaor smirked. This was more fun then he'd had in a long time.

_

* * *

_

_Uh oh! Now Chaor knows about Maxxor and Intress! They're both starting to get the hang of it. Sorry no Kaz or Tom, I just had to get this battle over with._

_Anybody wondering what was up with the Mugician? Well, you see, it's an daring, tragic tale.... buuuuut that's another story! :D Heh, me torment._

_Reviews create cake parties! As well as interdimensional portals in your computer screen that turn your latest wacky dream into reality! So if you just had a dream about the Teletubbies teaming up with Darth Sidious and your old math teacher and forcing you to join them for a tea party, you might wanna step back as you press "submit"._

_(Interdimensional portals subject to avaliability.)_


	5. Chapter 5

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_I really need to start making these funny again. They're starting to lose funny-ness. *Ahem* Dear Chapters of Chaotic Friday, Please increase your funny-ness retaining capabilities. Thank you, the Authoress._

* * *

**Chaotic Friday: Chapter 5**

____

_

* * *

_

Takinom glared at Tom, her mouth in a snarl as she yelled, "Again!"

Tom started running, jumping over shattered stalagmites, ducking under broken stalactites, and blasting at ones that weren't destroyed yet. Takinom ordered which attacks to use, flying just behind him. He used an Ember Swarm to the left, dodge, jump, jump, destroy the rock in his way with Lavalanche, knock that stalactite from the ceiling with Granite Balls and crush it with a punch as it falls, jump--

He stumbled at the last jump, nearly falling on his face, but made a quick recovery. He was determined to get this right; Takinom had promised that once he could imitate Chaor to an acceptable level, she would allow him to ask Najarin for help, as well as bring one of the two remaining mugics to him. That was more than Tom had hoped for, but Takinom was just as anxious to have Chaor back as Tom was to be gone.

They finished the run, and Tom was breathing heavily. On the first run he'd performed terribly, but had been shocked at his strength and endurance. Now, he'd practically worn himself out from the number of runs they'd done.

"That was good, right? That's the best run by far!"

Takinom narrowed her eyes. "That run was nowhere near Ruler of the Underworld level."

Tom groaned. "How much do you expect me to improve in one day!? C'mon, that was pretty good."

"It wasn't good enough!" she snapped, too agitated to even look at him. He certainly had the makings of an Overworlder; arrogant and soft, looking for and expecting praise and encouragement. But time was running out; It was a third day, and Chaor had an important meeting in a few hours. Since the months earlier when these meetings had begun, he'd been insistent that he not miss one for any reason.

"It'll have to do, though," she huffed. "We need to work on your demeanor."

Tom raised an eyebrow. "Well, that I can do. All I have to do is act superior no matter what." He assumed a proud stance, setting his feet far apart and folding his arms across his chest. Then he glowered at her, staring down as though she might be irritating, if she were important enough for him to give notice.

Takinom was surprised. It was an extremely Chaor look, and for a moment even she was unsure as to who exactly was standing in front of her. Then he grinned.

"See? Totally got it down."

She kept her surprise off her face. "We won't take precious time working on that. It's good enough to match your level of skill in battle, at least," she said, still refusing to give him a true compliment. "But that's not the demeanor we really need to work on. There's a meeting you're going to."

"What?!" Tom looked immediately nervous. "You said you could handle all the talking! I can't bluff my way through a meeting! Can't you tell them that Chaor isn't in a good mood for business or something? I could even stomp around and roar a bit for effect!"

"This isn't business!" she snapped again. "This is... Listen to this. Listen to me carefully as I say this. No matter how long you live, no matter who you think you might trust, no matter how untouchable you might ever believe you are," she was looking at him so ferociously now that if she'd ordered him to do another run, he'd have done seven in the same amount of time, just in case. "...you are NEVER to reveal what I am about to tell you to anyone. I don't even have to threaten you with the things I would do to you, like peel the flesh from your bones layer by layer, or slowly cook you alive, or deposit you in the Mipedian desert with your eyes and ears torn to shreds, because you will never tell a living soul a single breath of what I am going to tell you or what happens tonight. Are we clear?"

Tom stammered, nodding his head violently. "Yeah... yeah, definetly completely clear!"

"Good." She stared at him a moment longer, regretting what was happening and what she was going to do. Then, she took a deep breath and told Tom something he would have never even suspected in his craziest dreams in a million years.

* * *

Kaz walked back to the place Najarin had sat to tend to Intress, still wet. His hair was dry, though, and was still just the way Maxxor always had it. He'd rung out his tunic as well as he could then paced back and forth, talking to himself to try and come up with a plan.

He'd at last come to the conclusion that he couldn't do anything to fix the situation by himself. He would tell Najarin what had happened, and hopefully the Muge would know what to do. And once he convinced Najarin of his predicament, he could help convince Intress of who he really was.

But when he entered the clearing, Intress was nowhere in sight. Najarin looked up from his pocket-sized book. "Ah, there you are," he said. "I was beginning to wonder if you'd fallen into the river. Which apparently... you did."

Kaz couldn't tell if he was trying to be funny or not, so he decided not to comment. "Ok, the last time I didn't just come out and say it, and I got in major trouble. So... Najarin," he said, taking a deep breath, "I'm not Maxxor."

Najarin raise an eyebrow. Kaz plowed on.

"Back at the cave, by the Danian border, Chaor used some sort of mugic. As far as I can tell, that mugic did some sort of body-switching thing. I'm actually a Chaotic player, Kaz! Y'know, I hang out with Tom Majors?"

Najarin was silent for a minute. Kaz couldn't tell what he was thinking.

"Did you happen to be one of the humans up on the cliff during that battle?" Najarin asked, as though it were a perfectly regular thing to be talking about and this sort of thing happened all the time.

"Yes! Tom and I were too close to the edge and we fell off, right into the light sphere thing the mugic made." Kaz was ecstatic. "So you believe me?"

"Besides how highly improbable such a thing is, I see no reason not to. Maxxor would have no reason for such a story, you have not been acting like Maxxor, and I have certainly never seen Intress in a state like that after talking with him."

Kaz flinched. "Uh... yeah... there was a bit of a misunderstanding."

"So that's why she had to suddenly had to rush ahead to Kiru City." Najarin nodded. "Well, if you're here, where is Maxxor?"

"Probably in my body?" Kaz guessed. His eyes widened. "Oh man! Tom and I were porting out right as we went into the sphere thing! And if Maxxor and I switched places, and he's in my body... that means... Maxxor's in Chaotic!"

* * *

Maxxor hardly listened as the Battlemaster declared him the winner. Tom's face still held a grin, and though the victory might be Maxxor's, Chaor had truly won their battle. He had gotten into Intress's mind far enough that he could toy with Maxxor, and had come dangerously close to knowing too much. They both knew what the score really was, and it wasn't what this game said.

The Battlemaster gave permission to move his creatures, and he moved Chaor into the opposing front line. Then it was announced that it was MajorTom's turn to attack.

Maxxor looked at the board hovering in front of him. If it were his turn, he would attack Tangath. However, Chaor would probably repay him for his last choice by sending Maxxor after Takinom.

It was so weird to say that.

Maxxor let his gaze shift through the semi-transparent board in front of him to see Chaor watching him. They both understood the rules of the game and the strategy of how to win and had mapped out in their minds the possible routes this match could take, as well as which were most likely. All that mattered now was what happened in each battle.

"Maxxor will attack Takinom," Chaor said.

* * *

It seemed like everyone was watching the battle between 'Tom' and 'Kaz'. People all around Sarah and Payton had taken up sides and were raving about how crazy the last battle had been.

"Dude," one kid practically yelled, "Did you see those sick martial arts? The thing with the Gauntlets of Might went on for like, ten straight minutes of epicness!"

"An Overworld Mugician in the Underworld!? How in the heck did MajorTom find out about that!?" someone else wondered.

"Think they know they're live on screen?" Payton asked Sarah.

"They know that friends can watch battles, and they saw the screens on the way over, so I'd think so," she replied her brow creased with worry. "I'm just waiting for them to say something that completely gives them away. I can't believe no one else suspects that something fishy is up! And I keep wondering if we should tell the Code Masters about this whole mess."

They looked at each other, then simultaneously said, "Naaaaaaaaaaah."

Payton thought for a moment, about to suggest they risk leaving Maxxor and Chaor alone in Chaotic to go find Tom and Kaz, but then noticed a robot pass by. "Yo, my mechanical friend! Two sodas and a pizza, please."

Sarah was shocked. "Wow! You're really ordering some for me too? Thank you, Payton! Never thought I see the day."

"Uh, Yeah!" Payton plastered a smile on his face and discreetly turned back to the robot after Sarah turned away. "Hey...Y'know what? Better make that three sodas and an extra large pizza. ...Thanks dude."

* * *

_Maxxor sure is taking this whole thing seriously. Lighten up, man, it's just someone in the head of the creature you most trust and happen to share some sort of past with! No biggie! The fact that he's your mortal enemy isn't that big of a deal!_

_Oooh, what sort of secret meeting could Chaor be going to every third day??_


	6. Chapter 6

_Here's yer order, one chapter six with a side o' fries... by the way, we're fresh outta fries._

* * *

**Chaotic Friday: Chapter 6**

* * *

"There it is; Kiru City," Najarin said, geturing with his hand toward the view over the top of the last hill. The city gleamed in the late afternoon sun. Very little smoke rose from any chimneys; no one wanted a fire unless it was absolutely necessary for cooking on a hot day like this.

Kaz trudged up the hill behind him. "Finally! Man, that takes a lot longer when you can't just 'port."

"Imagine that," Najarin mumbled sarcastically. "Remember what I've told you. We shall need for you to make a short appearence, I shall grab a few scrolls from the library that I suspect will be helpful, then we are off to my home."

"Ok... but this is going to be fast, right?" Kaz looked at his green skin again. "I'm still freaked out every time I look down! I just want this to be over with."

"As do we all," he assured the boy. Kaz couldn't decide if that was supposed to be offensive. "Now, don't forget the most important thing; What--"

"Whatever I'm doing is more urgent than what anyone else wants me to do, I remember! Let a few creatures see me, then disappear into Maxxor's chambers and wait for you to get me."

"Exactly. Let's go on and head into whatever trouble is coming our way this time, then." Kaz sensed more sarcasm in the Muge's voice, but his humor was so dry it was hard to tell. This was going to be a very long afternoon.

* * *

_"Well... Here goes nothin'," _Maxxor thought at last, looking at the cliff in front of him. Taking a deep breath and focusing, he ran, pushing off the edge like it were a spring board. He waited just a moment, fighting his initial reaction to somehow save himself from the height and instead trying to connect to his new instincts. Then, just when he wasn't sure about the sanity of this idea, he thrust his wings out from his sides.

And there he was, floating across the air. Takinom's eyes surveyed the land beneath, and suddenly Maxxor understood why Frafdo occasionally said he felt sorry for those creatures who weren't blessed with the gift of flight. The ability to command the air, a place most creatures hardly ever realized as an obtainable space, with no assistance aside from the body you were born with. What freedom!

He dove through the air, scanning the Riverlands for signs of his opponent, who was nowhere to be found. At last he perched atop a rock in the middle of a rough section of river, taking a break to rest his wings. _"This is going nowhere fast," _he thought. _"Just like last battle, I'm stuck searching for him while he hides."_ At this, he felt a pang of frustration. _"Fine," _he huffed, _"Chaor wants to play that way, I might as well too." _He closed his eyes and focused deeply, trying to unlock the personality and memories of Takinom stored in the scan. And very quickly, he started to realize he wasn't the only one with secrets.

Kaz's scan of Takinom was recent; a few months more recent than Chaor had expected it to be, actually. Maxxor caught a sense of panic emanating from the "Princess of the Underworld"; a bit of doubt in Chaor's ability to think something through. She believed a tragedy in Chaor's past was back to haunt him, and that he would fall into it's trap without a second thought; but she was conflicted, knowing she might very well do the same, were it her in his position.

Maxxor strained, sifting through her fuzzy memories, searching for more. "Something about the third day," he muttered, then louder, "What could possibly be special about every third day?"

Vines snapped around his body, and Maxxor suddenly remembered that he wasn't the only one in this battle.

* * *

Chaor had seen Maxxor come down for a landing. _"About time," _he grumped, leaping through the trees in that direction. He had been up there for nearly fifteen minutes, searching in vain. Now they could at last go head-to-head, but this time, Chaor would have the element of surprise. He slipped through the foliage along the river's edge, coming near the rock Maxxor had perched on. His foot slipped on a wet rock and snapped a twig, the sound echoing in air alongside the roar of the water. He swore under his breath, but Maxxor didn't turn. He was being strangely still. Was he using the moment to delve into Takinom's head?

Didn't matter. The scan was surely very old, and he wouldn't get anything from her that Chaor cared abou--

Then he heard the question echo from the rock in the river.

Half-formed plan forgotten, Chaor lashed out at Takinom's form, using Vine Snare to hold her in place. He yanked on the vines, toppling the stunned Maxxor into the water. He struggled to break out of his binds, but it was all Chaor's opponent could do to stay above the water as an Iron Balls attack was unleashed at him.

Chaor pounded attack after attack in an almost desperate manner at the drowning Takinom, racing down the river to keep up as the current rushed her along. He could hardly believe himself; one hint that Maxxor might be tapping into his most sensitive and private secret, and he had reacted without thought of what the consequences might be. _"Perhaps Takinom's right," _he realized. _"Perhaps I am letting this cloud my thinking too much. Perhaps I should detach my emotions from it."_ And yet, even as he thought this, he knew it was advice he wouldn't ever follow.

Maxxor swore inwardly, then hissed out loud, then resorted to yelling to himself as he realized he was about to lose from his amatuer mistake. He stopped doing that shortly after swallowing a mouthful of water and retuned his focus to sawing at the vines with Takinom's claws as he dodged attacks as effectively as he could. He was getting very tired, hardly even able to manuver his way through the water now, but he kept his focus. At last, he could sense the vine was near the breaking point. He got ready to make use of his wings, and created a great fireball around him. It was enough to burn through the rest of the wet vine, as well as ward the water from his wings. He felt hope fill his heart--

But Chaor was far from done. He had developed a fury as Maxxor had one battle previous, and there was no chance he was letting his enemy go that easily.

Leaping into the air, to the same height Maxxor was now at, he used Iron Balls at a deceiving angle, sending them just over Maxxor's head. As Maxxor was busy making sure he was out of the way, Chaor delivered his true attack; a swift kick towards the gut. Maxxor fell to the other side of the river. Worn as he was, he struggled to rise quickly, but Chaor used an Avalaunche. It tore straight through the river as though it weren't there.

Blue light filled the arena.

* * *

Players back in the main building were less than impressed. This battle had been fifteen minutes of nothing, then five minutes of one player beating on the other; not even close to the standard the first battle had set. While a few of the more experienced players had started to realize that there might be more to this match than met the eye (though even that had made it out of the ordinary), and the Overworld supporters weren't too upset, the crowd of spectators had begun to thin. Sarah and Payton breathed a little easier.

The pair's table was covered with a huge pizza box, a little more than half the pizza missing from it. Payton slurped the last bit of his soda noisily from the cup and slammed it down onto the table. "Wow, this is gettin' crazier by the millisecond! Who knows what secret Maxxor almost dug outta ol' batty's brain!"

"Hey!" Sarah whispered jabbing him in the side. He moaned from the agitation to his partially-full stomach. "Who was it earlier that was all concerned about keeping our friends' secrets?"

Peyton shrugged, wearing a 'you-know-you-can't-stay-mad-at-me-for-long' smile.

"Well," Sarah mumbled, knowing the look and not about to admit just then that he was right, "Whatever it was, it was obviously something big. Did you see the look on his face when 'Tom'," (she used air quotes) "heard what 'Kaz' said? I bet 'Tom' didn't expect 'Kaz' to find anything at all in Takionm's head! That must've been a nasty surprise."

"I'll bet you're right! He did a little over the top... And speaking of which no more 'air quote' priveleges for you today, Sarah," Peyton scolded, using air quotes himself mockingly. "You have 'abused' them, and I will not 'allow' such 'abuse' to 'continue'! It's an 'atrocity' at the 'level' of allowing this piece of 'food' to go 'uneaten'." He picked up a piece of something that looked slightly like pizza crust from just outside the box, and scrutinized it.

"... 'Food'..." he mused. He slowly brought the morsel under his nose and sniffed it, and then, apparently satisfied, stuffed it into his mouth.

Sarah raised an eyebrow. "Yeah.... that does look pretty ridiculous, Peyton. Congratulations, you've convinced me. In fact, I don't think I'll ever use air quotes again."

* * *

_I dunno about you, but I'm pretty convinced never to use air quotes again! Or maybe that's just encouraging me to use them... hmmmmmmm....._

_Not the most exciting chapter, mostly just set-up for what's coming. Speaking of which, if you guys want me to focus on anything or anyone in particular, speak now or forever give up your right to pout about who I choose to favor with word-count!_


	7. Chapter 7

_Look! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's- ...Naw. Couldn't be another chapter. Must be Superman._

* * *

**Chaotic Friday: Chapter 7**

* * *

Tom did more than walk through the streets. He towered.

Even the creatures who were taller than him seemed to shrink in comparison to the form of the Underworld leader. Anyone who dared begin a conversation perhaps slightly aimed in his direction was immediately silenced by a glare of death from him. Everyone knew; this was no day to mess with Chaor.

Tom had to admit, he was loving it.

Creatures who otherwise would have tossed him into a deep hole with a chortle were scuttering out of his way. It was great! Well, for the most part. There were those few creatures that he felt bad about scaring so much; the young ones for example. Until he realized that after he got a certain distance away, they would whisper excitedly to each other about the strong creature they looked up to. And with this approach, no one would stop him and expose him as the fake he was.

No one did, all the way up till they got into the palace, and then Takinom screeched at the officials who tried to flock him, asking if they were blind, Chaor obviously had more important things to do than deal with them. He walked right through, showing no acknowledgement of them other than a warning growl. He kept going, following the directions Takinom had given him until he reached the Underworlder's private chambers, hardly glancing at the guards as they stood at their best attention while he passed. Then at last he slammed the door behind him, and he was alone.

The space was huge. It was like a lobby to a five star hotel, Chaor style. He could see down the hall that there was a door which most likely led to the bedroom, and in the other direction, a room with a desk and a few books and maps and various charts. Tom couldn't help but wonder how much time Chaor spent in that room.

He went towards the bedroom and walked through it ("Holy cow, that is a humongous bed!") and into a bathroom that looked like someone had taken a valley of hot springs and turned them into an olympic pool, with a car wash/ shower on the side.

He just shook his head in disbelief and walked over to the extravagant sink, turning it on and splashing the hot water in his face. Then he stared in the mirror. And stared some more. And some more.

"Ugh... This is just way too weird," he muttered. He took one last look, then walked back into the bedroom and collapsed on the bed. He didn't have long before Takinom would come to direct him through the secret tunnels to meet up with this person that Tom still could hardly believe existed. This whole thing was just... so weird. So freaky.

One day. He could do this for one day, then he would be able to go to Lake Keneipo in disguise and discuss the whole thing with Najarin. Still working on how exactly that was going to work, but it would. It had to, one way or another. Even if it did go wrong and he was taken as a prisoner, despite Takinom's assurances that wouldn't be happening, he could explain everything to Maxxor, and Maxxor would help him out. Right?

Then there was the question he hardly dare ask. What if the same thing had happened to Maxxor? What if, at this moment, his best friend was in fact wandering around a ruler's private chambers as well, wondering the same thing:

How in the world was he gonna get out of this mess?

* * *

How in the world was he gonna get out of this mess?

Kaz paced back and forth across the tiled floor, growing more anxious by the minute. He'd put a sheet over the mirror against the wall; he'd had enough double-takes for one day, thank you. Soon Najarin would be coming, and hopefully would bring along a few ideas with him... but the Muge had already made it clear that without the proper mugic, this task just might be too much for him.

The boy/ creature groaned and sat down on the bed. What else could go wrong?

"Agh!" He fell back onto the bed. "Could this situation get _any _worse?"

Right on cue, someone knocked at the door. Kaz jumped up and panicked a bit, then ran over to the mirror and pulled the sheet off. "I'm busy. Try later," he called out.

"Good try Maxxor, but I know that tone," the door opened to reveal Tangath Tobourn, "old friend."

Kaz dropped the sheet, hands behind his back. "Really. This is a really bad time. I've... got a lot on my mind."

"I know," Tangath said, walking over and putting his claw on a green shoulder. "That's why I'm here."

"You... you know?"

"Yes. I ran into Intress and noticed her distress. She and I talked."

"Oh. That." Kaz awkwardly stepped away towards the balcony and looked out, trying to veil his expression since he couldn't decide if he was relieved or in even more trouble.

"Yes, that," the creature said testily, following behind him. "The way you have treated her is not something to be brushed aside, Maxxor. This is a reality, this situation! You've avoided it for years, and it's high time you put aside your pride and formality and faced it. It has gone on long enough!" Tangath paused for a moment, and Kaz wasn't sure what to say to help him out of the total awkwardness he felt. So he just stood there and looked out as the sun touched down on the horizon, too worried the wrong words would get him in the same type of situation he'd been in earlier that day with Intress.

The creature behind him sighed. "Maxxor..." he came up to stand next to him, looking out as well. "I know this is something that pains you. I understand the loss of your brother affected you in ways I personally can't comprehend. But I know he would want you to be happy. If he understood the years of torment and aggravation his one argument in anger with you would have..." He looked hard into the face of the Overworld leader, but Kaz kept his eyes trained on the horizon. "You need to let go of this. You know this is not what he would have wanted."

Still, Kaz kept his silence and steady gaze.

At last, Tangath growled, bowing. "I can't force your hand. However, I thought I should tell you. Intress has asked me to go with her on a stroll tonight, to help her forget her problems. And as you're making no argument... I'm going now to meet her." With that, Tangath left.

"... You had to ask if it could get worse, didn't you?" Kaz moaned to himself. "Smooooth mooove."

* * *

_Smooth indeed! You just can't catch a break, can ya Kazzy? Tom, however, has currently got some pretty sweet digs._

_Hold up. Maxxor's got a brother! Well, he _had_ a brother. What's that got to do with Intress, anyway?_


	8. Chapter 8

_Don't get used to this. Just ask the old-timers. NEVER expect Kensalyn to post another chapter. Except when she does. THEN you can expect it._

_But, hey! Enjoy it! The story's taking another crazy twist! Where will it end up now?! DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUN!_

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**Chaotic Friday: Chapter 8**

* * *

Maxxor was suddenly much more interested in this game than before. Chaor had a secret so great, it made him lash out with a fury that Maxxor had never seen in him. Now, _this_ was what he'd been looking for.

Chaor may have discovered a taste of what was between him and Intress, but Maxxor was about to find information that was even more distressing to the Underworlder to be unveiled. This could change everything. The scan of Chaor was older than the one Kaz held of Takinom it seemed, but he had gathered that whatever was happening now had to do with a major event in Chaor's past. All he needed was a corner to slip away into, then he could dive into memories as Chaor searched for him. He smirked across the room at Tom's face, the eyes of which were trying to murder him with a glare.

"Chaor attacks Tangath Tob—" suddenly the lights were gone and everything was dark, including the pale glow that had been coming from the two's scanners. Maxxor heard Tom's voice swear from across the way.

"What did you do now?" it grumbled.

And then the lights were flickering back on. "Don't blame me," he snapped right back, realizing as he did that they had both taken slightly defensive positions in the unknown of the dark.

"Apologies, Players," the mechanical voice interjected, "The system has overloaded. Power has been pushed to its limits by extensive data decoding embedded within scans, and foreign energies entering the system from an unknown source causing corruption. All battles have ceased for system cleansing. Please remove your scanners from their docks and take to a qualified technician if needed. Repeat, the system has overloaded. Power has been pushed to its limits…"

Maxxor felt a layer of dread enshroud him as the Battlemaster spoke. He looked at Kaz's scanner. The pale light that had come from it before was gone, and nothing happened as he picked it up from its stand. There was the slight smell of burnt plastic in the air, along with the sharp odor of melted metal. It was obvious who the "unknown energies" might have come from, and now Maxxor looked stiffly across the room at Chaor. This game had almost gained him everything… but it may now have cost him just that.

Chaor was in no pleasant mood about this either. He could not afford this. This went beyond his desire for blackmail or information, even beyond his desire to rule and serve his tribe. He had a reason to be home. This battle had helped him focus on something other than the fact that he would not make his appointment that night, but by three days' time he had hoped to perhaps have this sorted out_,_ to be where he most desired to be. As he picked up Tom's scanner, his hand shook. The light above flickered again, still not completely recovered, something that he didn't even notice. He needed to be there. He…

A roar ripped out of his throat as he slammed his fist into the scanner dock. Sparks danced from the edge of it, and Chaor had the slight impression that Tom's knuckles might be bruised for a while. "_NO_!"

"Walk out the door, Underworlder," Chaor heard Maxxor warn. Another worry of drawing attention to themselves from the ever-careful Maxxor.

"Do _not,_" Chaor hissed, "assume to tell me what to do. So help me, Overworlder, if we are trapped here… I will make your life a living hell."

"_Do not_," Maxxor barked back, "try to make me the one at fault! This was a joint effort! Your rashness and selfishness, my blindness and greed. But if the fault does have to sit anywhere, I'd say it's yours!"

"_Me?! You Overworld, daisy-picking scum!"_

* * *

From the food court, Peyton and Sarah watched as the TV flickered in and out, showing frames of Tom and Kaz as it became apparent the yelling was only going to increase. Luckily the sound wasn't working, and most everyone had scattered to find their friends and check their scanners.

"Did what I think just happened just happen?" Sarah asked.

"If you're thinking our buddies just caused the virus protection of Chaotic to kick in and cause an impossible problem to become a little more complicado, that would be a yes. On the bright side, if you're thinking we just finished am impossibly monster-sized pizza, that is also a big thumbs up! Ooooh…" Peyton rubbed his belly.

Sarah rolled her eyes. "You know, I only had two slices of that pizza."

"And the stomach confirms." Peyton groaned at he patted his stomach. "Ay caramba… I think I'll just man this table for a while, watch the home base. So everyone has somewhere to gather."

"Oh, no you don't. We're going to get them out of there before a fist fight breaks out. If it hasn't already!"

"Woah woah woah, Sarah, can't we just consider our options for a mo_meeeeeeeent!_" Sarah grabbed her friend's hand and pulled him behind her and she ran towards the battledromes. Talking down two creatures who have learned to hate each other from the day they were born with specific hate towards each other, who are also in the bodies of two teenage boys? This was not going to be easy.

* * *

"—Don't bring her into this! Don't you dare—"

"—Won't it be so _sad_, if you never see _her_ again! Because wouldn't _that_ be _such_ a pity! Such a _pain_ for you!" Chaor was raging about the drome, slamming walls and roaring at his only target. "You have _so much_ to lose! And yet you know _nothing_ of what I've lost! What a shame, you'll never have to go through _my_ pain!"

"Chaor, we can still try to fix them!"

"_I KNOW THAT!_" Tom's voice never sounded so loud, and it left a silence after it. "_I know…_ And I may hate you, Overworlder… but I do grant you this… I hope you never come to understand this. Never. Now, please… allow me my anger." Chaor smashed his fist once more into the wall, but it seemed he was spent. His knuckles were beginning to scab, and a bruise had begun to manifest on his arm.

Though Maxxor had many things to say in response, something kept him quiet. This was something raw inside the great stone-hearted creature that struck a chord of pity in him. It pulled him to curiosity. What could have such an effect? Did this relate to the sensitivity and protection of his third-day meetings? What could such a creature have lost? And how could he even begin to believe it could compare to the past Maxxor still evaded? Chaor claimed Maxxor could not understand the true source of his frustration; Well, Chaor would never understand the endless aching of Maxxor's own burden. And perhaps in that, strangely, they shared something.

Then the door burst open, and Sarah flew in. "Stop, don't—! …What did you do in here?! Oh, you are gonna get in so much trouble. C'mon, lets get outta here. …Guys? Seriously guys." Chaor and Maxxor just stared at her.

"We have a problem," Maxxor began, but then Sarah gasped.

"What did you do?!" She stormed over to Chaor, seeing the injuries. "That is not yours! Seriously? A little control? I mean, you _are_ adults! …Sort of!"

Chaor's face didn't change from slight contempt and tired frustration as he simply held up the scanner in front of her face, wafting the scent it brought. "How," he asked, his voice so tense it seemed threatening, "do you fix this?"

Sarah's face went pale at the sight.

"Whew!" Payton wheezed from behind them, just inching up to the door. Everyone turned to see as he leaned up in the doorway. "A bit of a run… that was… Takes longer when you take time to share with a trash can. Oh man. Yup, life can throw ya a curveball or two. So!... How's it goin?"

* * *

_Thank you, Peyton, for that extremely mood-killing ender. AND, you ate all the pizza! I try to make it intense, and you HAVE to jump in and try to be funny. This is just like that boring-but-productive story-board meeting we had the other day, and you decided to bring tacos and sombreros for everyone. You ruined the whole thing._

_Just kidding. It increased the awesomeness by x18. Never stop. Please._

_...But really, next time save me some pizza._


	9. Chapter 9

_Slowly, a dark figure emerged from the shadows, lit only by the pale, dim light of the bulky rectangular object she clutched in her hands. Closer she came, stalking her prey, movements getting faster and faster as though remembering what movement used to feel like, way back when it was a common thing for her, closer and closer, till at last she was close enough to pounce-!_

_HI GUYS! I'm putting up another chapter! Wanna read?_

_Not a long chapter, but enough to gain the story a little momentum again. Enjoy!_

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**Chaotic Friday**

This tunnel went on for much longer than Tom had anticipated, with many more turns and twists than he could keep track of. He'd gotten lost three times over before he noticed the markings on the wall, discreetly pointing the correct turns to take at each junction.

Takinom had come to gather him an hour ago, and after some last-minute prepping they had gone on their way through a secret passage in Chaor's room to enter these tunnels. Just when it began to seem like they would never get there, the tunnel suddenly opened up into a large room. There was an area halfway across the room (probably a football field away) that was green and beautiful, a garden of sorts. And far off in the corner sat a little hut. This was is. This was the destination Takinom had told him about. And despite all the prepping she had given him, the tips and instructions on what was going to happen here, the whole sight of it still shocked him. The whole idea about what this place meant for the Underworld leader, about the mysteries and torments it had solved for him and the questions and sleepless nights it had created for him as well, began to overwhelm Tom once again. This was incredible. Unbelievable. And here he was, about to witness perhaps the greatest secret Chaor had…

From across the chamber, the door to the hut opened.

* * *

"Sooooooooo… You guys know any good jokes?"

Maxxor and Chaor looked incredulously at Peyton. "What? It's a fair question. Here, I got one to get 'cha started: Why didn't the skeleton ask the ghost on a date? ...No guesses? Not a one? Ok, ok, I'll tell ya; 'Cause he didn't have the guts! Ha, get it, the guts!"

The two creatures repeated in their heads their individual mantras of how it would be bad to stuff a shoe in the boy's mouth. Or a fist, in the case of Chaor's alternate mental mantra. Or another double cheeseburger, by Maxxor's second choice.

"Ooh, ooh, here's a favorite: Why do elephants paint their toenails red?"

Maxxor sighed and put his head in his hand. Chaor raised an eyebrow. "What on Perim is an elephant?"

Maxxor gave in to the inevitable. "Why, Peyton?"

"So they can hide in cherry trees! Ever seen an elephant in a cherry tree?" Once more the faces of his two friends just stared at him. He took that as his expected answer of no. "Well, see how good it works? Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Oh, yeah… Oh, man, that one's brilliant. Every time. Hey, I got another one..."

Luckily Sarah was walking back then, stopping the floodgates of bad jokes from opening any wider. She sat down with an unhappy look on her face. "Bad news guys," she said, placing the two busted scanners on the table. "Everyone who could fix these are busy with everyone else who was playing at the time, which was a lot of people, apparently. And they're gonna want some incentive to do it. One guy wants a Maxxor scan, ironically enough. But one better than Tom's."

"Then we'll give it to him," Maxxor consented immediately. "Tell him to meet us in three day's time, and he'll have his scan. With my battle armor, if that helps him consent."

"Yeah, cute, and he's gonna believe we have the power to tell Maxxor when to be where, how? He said it 'cause he knows we don't have it. These guys aren't gonna help us out till their sales wear down a bit. Which could be quite a while."

"How long is quite a while?" Chaor asked stiffly. It was clear he was daring her to give a long estimate, for the universe to even try and suggest that he spend even an hour longer here.

"Probably… my best guess… a few days."

Everyone was silent as they waited for the explosion and the snapping remarks to begin streaming from Tom's mouth. Chaor slowly rose from his seat, and Kaz's posture suggested Maxxor was preparing to take down the bigger figure if needed. Chaor clenched his fists. Then released them. And walked away from the table.

Everyone else was frozen. "…Did big, red, anger-management issues just walk away from an opportunity to break my ear drums?" Peyton was the first to break the silence.

"I think so," Sarah replied. She started to stand up, but Maxxor stopped her.

"Let him go. There is… much more than we understand happening here. I suspect tonight there is something vital he is absent from, and now he fears further absences."

"Vital?" Sarah scrunched her nose. "What, some big important series of Underworld councils?"

"Perhaps," Maxxor said. "But I suspect something much more personal than that."

"Wait, whoa there, your mortal enemy is having an emotional breakdown?" Peyton waved his hands through the air. "One: Chaor? Gettin' teary-eyed? No comprendo, amigo. Dos: Hello? Mortal enemy? What's with the pity party? And three: Remind me again why it's a good idea to let him wander around without a babysitter?"

"Don't question me, Peyton. Just leave him be," Maxxor said firmly, using his "obey me or else" stare. However, he knew the boy's questions were valid. Why _did_ he feel such a respect and pity towards Chaor's apparent heartache, whatever it might be? And what sort of trauma in the Underworld leader's life could possibly bring such a creature to a state such as this?

* * *

Tom gulped and tried to keep from staring across the crackling fire at the figure turning the spit. Takinom was talking, trying again to communicate and hardly getting anywhere, as was usual for these visits, apparently. Her words were clumsily copied by the figure, who would always add a flourish of hands to emphasize the words after they had been repeated. The gift of meat they had brought sizzled and smelled wonderful after having been seasoned with the fresh herbs, but Tom could hardly think about the food. He found himself staring again, the figure across the flames pretending not to notice. He felt Takinom's disapproval and could hear her threats already. But how could he keep from staring? Seriously. Three-fourths of all the creatures of Perim would pay steep prices to be where he was now, to know what he now knew. And the other fourth wouldn't be too opposed to the paying the price either.

The spit continued turning, and as it did the cook looked into Tom's (well, Chaor's) eyes. The horns on her head were too obvious to ignore, the tint of her skin too blatant to dispute. Her figure and eyes were not as evident, but that only impressed the point further, and Tom was once again struck by how deep they went, how intelligent and yet how innocent they were. Not for the first time, he forced himself to slow his heart and keep his cool. Because who wouldn't be sitting here, jaw on the floor at this point?

He was about to have dinner with Chaor's daughter.

* * *

_Wow, lots of feelings and stuff in this chapter, right? And bad jokes. So I'm curious, did anybody guess what Chaor's secret was? Any guesses as to what Maxxor's secret is?_

_If you think you know, send me a pm! And if anyone guesses Maxxor's secret right, I'll send you the little back-story I wrote with more info than what's gonna be put in this story, for Chaor's and Maxxor's stories behind their secrets!_

_That's right, the secrets behind the secrets! With little secret cubby-holes for secret notes filled with secret secrets...and secret secret secrets with secrets made up of secrets... all secreted away in secrets told only in secret... secet secrets... the word secret doesn't look right after you secretly type it too many secret times... Anyways, it'll probably be a good two chapters before we get to Maxxor's secr- ...er, his untold tale, so you've got a fighting chance! I'll tell you when the window of opportunity is closing, don't worry about it. And keep writing, all of you! Whenever I see a new review, I love jumping online to read the stories you've written yourself. I _LOVE_ them. Devour them, really. I'm a nerd. But here you are, still reading me as I babble on, which means it's probably not just me, and I'm not alone in the universe after all. So... thanks for that too. Yup. It's pretty nice of you to still be reading my blabbing, because I'm really not saying anything anymore. Well, not anything important. But how can we really judge what's important and what's not anyways? I mean, somewhere in all of this fine print I might be about to give away one of those secrets I was writing about earlier. Drat, that word still looks wrong. Am I spelling it wrong? I don't think so, but I've just looked at it for so long that I can't help but think, "_Man_, there has _got_ to be a better way to spell that word. 'Cause this way is starting to seem a bit ridiculous." But, back to what you're thinking. You're probably reading this thinking I have something I'm trying to convey, or perhaps that I'm about let something important slip, because surely there's a point to me writing all of this, because how could someone who is also a fan of Doctor Who and Sherlock Holmes not have a point behind a long string of babble that would only make sense at the end of the seemingly random thoughts, with a clencher of a spell-binding single sentence that creates an effect like pulling together the drawstrings of a sack after carefully stringing the laces through the correct holes and dropping little tidbits into the pouch? There has got to be something at the end of such a list of words and ideas, something that could be beneficial to you, to your curiosity, something to console the fact that you have already read so much of it. I might be about to reward you for your dilligence in carefully absorbing each of my words with something those other poor souls with no patience will never get to enjoy. You could be about to become the next most knowledgable person in the entire country, whatever country yours might be. You could be about to become a millionaire because you know what no one else does. You could be about to find the answer to life itself. There is no telling what this could all be building up to, what sort of magnficent treasure awaits you at the end of this paragraph! Nothing can quench your need for that knowledge, nothing can stand in the way of your determination to take in every last word!_

_...So... later guys!_


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